COLLEGE students travelled to Kenya for building and repair projects to help children.

A total of 26 students from Brockenhurst College made the 8,528 mile trip to Kenya to build upon work previously started. 

The previous work done by students was part of the Brock2Kenya project. 

The group of college students were taking part in the building and repairs of three humanitarian projects for Kenyan children.

Working in Kenya for 12 days, they assisted with Melon Mission School, Little Kings Nursery, and Silver Bells Welfare Centre for Orphaned Children.

Melon Mission supports 450 learners aged 3 to15, while Silver Bells looks after 120 children aged 3 to 7.

Meanwhile, Little Kings cares for 60 toddlers.

After months of hard work and fundraising back in the UK, the students provided a total of 900kg of aid was distributed, including: clothes, shoes, toiletries, sanitary products, medical supplies, learning materials, games, toys, shoe laces, sports equipment and first aid kits.

Alongside this, the students put in over 100 hours of hard work and effort. 

As well as helping to fix buildings and repairing broken objects, the students were able to engage in games and activities with the children. 

They taught the children literacy and numeracy, and even ran classroom sessions on the subjects they were studying at college. 

They delivered 64 individual lessons on multiple subjects and topics, such as geography, dance, psychology and even singing. 

Trip lead Adrian Butterworth was supported throughout by Brock careers leader Alistair Lambon, creative art and media head of curriculum Alex Williamson, and nurse Ruth Wildman who led first aid lessons for staff at the projects.

After the group returned, Adrian Butterworth said: “To say we’re tired is an understatement, but we’re proudly exhausted and blown away by our students’ efforts.

“The students would’ve given the shirts off their backs,  I’m serious, if they could carry it, they brought it and gave it.

“Last year we took our first wheelchair user, who returned this year, and this time we took our first ever Foundation Studies student as well.

“One day I found myself looking at the old cow sheds that had previously been classrooms, and it struck me what a meaningful legacy we’ve created together so far on this journey."